Shooting Investigation

Published: Thursday, September 28, 2000

THE USE OF DEADLY force is a grim possibility that every law enforcement officer faces every day. When an officer straps on a gun as a routine part of getting ready for work, he or she never knows if that gun might have to be used that day.

Many law enforcement officers go through long careers without having to use deadly force. The unfortunate few who do are subjected to second-guessing and investigations to determine whether the shooting fell within the law and within departmental regulations.

And that is the way it should be. When a law enforcement officer points a gun at another human being and pulls the trigger, every effort must be made to determine objectively whether the shooting was necessary.

That said, we approve of the way that Lubbock County Sheriff David Gutierrez is handling the aftermath of a shooting by one of his deputies.

The deputy fatally shot 46-year-old Joe Cavazos Jr. early Tuesday night during a standoff south of Lubbock.

The sheriff put the deputy, a 10-year veteran, on paid administrative leave and asked the Texas Rangers to investigate the shooting. "I want a thorough, complete, independent investigation into this shooting," he said.

So do we. The Rangers were the appropriate agency to investigate, and Sheriff Gutierrez made the proper choice by requesting their involvement. We await the results of the shooting investigation.